“The concept of portraying evil and then destroying it […] is rotten. This idea that whenever something evil happens someone particular can be blamed and punished for it, in life and in politics, is hopeless.” — Hayao Miyazaki
Here are my final thoughts on Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, including some nit-picking and how my enjoyment of the series has changed over time.
“A life is a life, regardless of how it comes into being.” – Nausicaä, volume 7, p. 133
In this installment I examine volume 7, the conclusion of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and discuss the theme of the book: judgment.
Note: I discuss ending spoilers for the entire series. You have been warned!
“My clan knows how to live by sharing the burden of suffering. We can teach you the way. Choose love over hatred.” – Nausicaä, Volume 6, p. 131
This time we explore volume 6 of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and touch briefly on Miyazaki’s treatment of religious practice. As this is the penultimate volume of the manga, spoilers abound.
“. . .It looks like the day is coming when the living will envy the dead, doesn’t it?” – Kushana, Volume 5, p. 49
In this installment, I cover the fifth (and my personal favorite) volume of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and talk about Miyazaki’s interpretation of the Cold War. SPOILERS, as always.
“Our god of the wind tells us to live! I love life! The light, the sky, people, the insects, I love them all!” – Nausicaä, Volume 4, p. 85
In this installment, I examine volume 4 of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and talk a little about the role telepathy plays in the series.
(Note: spoilers from here on out!)
“Take a good look, Nausicaä! This is war!” – Kurotowa, Volume 3, p. 64
In this installment, I cover the events of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind volume 3, containing both a compelling war story and a nuanced argument for pacifist and ecofeminist values.
“We prefer the ways of the water and the wind.” — Old man, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
In this installment, I review the animated adaptation of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the film that was the genesis of Studio Ghibli.
“It’s a mistake to believe that war only happens to other countries.” – Asbel, p. 23
In this installment, I’ll talk about volume 2 of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the one where Nausicaä rescues a baby Ohmu and a Torumekian army from an Ohmu stampede.
“. . . In this harsh world of ours, the sparrow must live like a hawk if he is to fly at all.” – King Jhil, p. 24
In this installment, I’ll be covering volume 1 of the Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind manga. (Nota bene: I’m using VIZ’s Editor’s Choice edition, which is roughly analogous to the Japanese collected volumes.)
Chances are, if you haven’t heard of Hayao Miyazaki, you’ve seen at least one of his films. His film Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003. That film, along with most of his catalog produced at Studio Ghibli, has been licensed and distributed by Disney in the United States. Animation legend John Lasseter of Pixar cites him as an undeniable influence on the industry.
But if it weren’t for a manga published in Animaze in 1983, he may not have found such success.